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<h3 class="title"><a name="#top"></a><strong>SPECIAL REPORT: </strong>Reader’s
Unsolicited Comments concerning “The Funeral Monitor” <br>
</h3>
<h4 class="titlesmall">UPDATE: April 19, 2007</h4>
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<p>Before I present eleven (11) “Unsolicited” emails, the majority
as a result of numerous vicious and baseless attacks on me and Westland
Services by Ron Hast’s Funeral Monitor publication and its editor,
Sue Simon; I wish to make the following statements of fact.</p>
<div class="insert">
<ul>
<li>I did NOT encourage, request, or solicit the emails received and presented
below.</li>
<li>I did NOT respond to any of the emails received and or published below.</li>
<li>I did NOT edit and will NOT make personal comments as to the potential
motives for those whose emails I shall present below.</li>
<li>I have elected to ONLY reference the states from which the emails
originated, as it is not my intent to identify for myself or for you,
the reader, who may have generated the emails.</li>
<li>I have elected NOT to publish any emails in whole or in part that
contained terms or words I consider to be objectionable to me and potentially
objectionable to the reader.</li>
<li>And, lastly, due to space considerations, I have chosen NOT to present
emails that are redundant in nature and content.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Here we go!</strong><br>
“Mr. Haddad, I do not subscribe to the Funeral Monitor, but have a
friend that sends me articles he thinks I might have interest in seeing.
It appears the Simon woman (reference to Sue Simon, editor) has it out for
you big time. What did you do, reject her advances?”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Man / Kentucky</em></p>
<p>“You are right when you referred to the Funeral Monitor as a supermarket
tabloid publication. To be sure, anyone that would pay to read that ‘rag’
deserves all the bad press coverage the industries gets. Seems to me the
subject matter in the ‘rag’ is a fast track exit to any future
in the funeral business.”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Man / Georgia </em></p>
<p>“I’ve known Ron Hast for years. I thought he was for real until
I learned he is out for himself and himself ONLY, at the expense of others
in the industry. You certainly had him pegged at the OGR meeting in San
Francisco. We went out and had a drink “to Phil Haddad” for
having the guts to stand up to Hast and question the lack of scruples of
the Funeral Monitor and its editor. We need more folk like you.”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Man / Texas</em></p>
<p>“After reading the attacks made about you in the Funeral Monitor
back in November 2004, I contacted the Better Business Bureau in New England,
since several of the families we served had inquired about personal care
at their cemetery plots. I was told Westland had been a member of the BBB
for more than 17 years without a complaint ever being filed against you
or Westland. Since then we have referred several families to Westland and
without exception, all have been extremely pleased. Keep up the good work.
As for the Funeral Monitor, we consider it – Trash!”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Woman / Missouri</em></p>
<p>“Ron Hast is a blow-hard, and Simon is worse. Anyone with any smarts,
knows this. Haddad, everyone in this business needs to take a page from
your book. You’ve got _alls!”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Man / Idaho</em></p>
<p>“Mr. Haddad, you’ve got Ron Hast all wrong! He is a man of
honor and dignity. I know this for a fact. I don’t know Ms. Simon,
but Ron would not let her go off on someone unless she had all the facts
to support what she writes. Ron even plays the piano with grace and dignity.”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Woman / California</em></p>
<p>“Fair and responsible journalism! Doesn’t exist at the (Funeral)
Monitor. Anyone who knows Simon, knows this. She was canned from the National
Funeral Directors Association and none to soon. Why do you think she attacks
the (NFDA) and every other industry association whenever she sees the slightest
opening – and always with a distorted twist of the truth? She truly
is the worst, and yet purports to speak for the industry.”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Woman / New York </em></p>
<p>“I hadn’t seen or heard about Westland Services until I read
about you in the ICCFA magazine. What a great service. A friend then sent
me the article in the Funeral Monitor. I didn’t know what to believe.
Did the ICCFA miss the boat or was it a hatchet job by the Funeral Monitor?
A review of previous articles in the Funeral Monitor revealed the Funeral
Monitor’s article - ICCFA Gets Punk’d – was just a rehash
of a vicious attack by the Simon lady dating back to 2004. We met during
the ICCFA EXPO in Las Vegas (I don’t know if you remember me), and
I could not have been more pleased with your answers to my questions and
the way and manner with which you do business. I’m sold, and every
family I serve will be informed about Westland and personalized care and
maintenance at their family gravesite. As for the Funeral Monitor, it is
my intent not to read it any more; but if I do, I certainly will put little
or no faith in its content.”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Man / Ohio</em></p>
<p>“No wonder we are all struggling to survive. With the likes of Simon
at the Monitor and Hast running around the country like he’s the authority
on where the funeral business is headed; if he be the judge, we’re
all in trouble. I read your web site each week looking for the next update.
What you have gone through both with your State Board and the Simon vendetta
(for whatever reason), you’re a hero in my book. Give ‘em all
your best shot. We’re all watching!”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Man / Arizona</em></p>
<p>“I couldn’t believe my eyes as I read the editor’s comments
in the February 19, 2007 newsletter of the Funeral Monitor – quoted
as such by Ms. Simon –<br>
“I love, respect, and remember my father, mother-in-law, brother,
aunts, uncles, nephews, best friend, business partner, and all of my former
AIDS buddies; but I’ve never deliberated anything at any of their
gravesites and, in fact, aren’t entirely sure where they are all buried
or scattered. I do have a few cupfuls of cremated remains in their original
plastic bags on a self in my butler’s pantry, but I can’t say
their presence ever stimulated much thought or introspection when I move
them around to get at the gravy boat or Aunt Betty’s antique crystal
stemware.”</p>
<p>Simon scares me! She would scare anyone, (although I suspect she will regret
ever taking you on) especially since she is the one selected by Hast to
monitor the funeral industry. Mr. Haddad, you have confirmed what most of
us suspected for some time - the Funeral Monitor cannot be trusted for the
accuracy of its content.”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Man / Minnesota</em></p>
<p>And lastly; </p>
<p>“Why are we are own worst enemies? Instead of working together to
do what is right for the family who suffers the loss of a family member,
we are only concerned for what’s in it for me. Add to this the “super
market tabloid publication” you refer to as the Funeral Monitor and
the bias of its editor, and you have chaos and bigotry in action. Aware
of the facts in a particular issue and then reading the totally distorted
description depicted in the Funeral Monitor angers me to the point I want
to throw up on its editor.”</p>
<p align="right"><em>-- Man / Montana</em></p>
<p>I wish to thank those who took the time to email me; and although I did
not publish all the emails received, I did make sure those published were
an adequate representation of those received.</p>
<p>I have had but one conversation (on the phone) with Sue Simon, editor of
the Funeral Monitor; although she has written articles (seven I believe
and all negative) about me, Westland Services, and Nordgren Memorial Chapel
in Worcester. Ms. Simon emailed me in September 2004 requesting answers
to approximately a dozen questions concerning Westland Services Corporation.
Rather than respond in writing (since I was unfamiliar with the Funeral
Monitor and wanted to know with whom I was conversing), I called the phone
number referenced in the request. When I refused to answer some of Ms. Simon’s
questions, (proprietary information/trade secrets), she indicated she would
take me to task. I responded, “do what you must”, not realizing
the viciousness of the individual. </p>
<p>During this same and ONLY conversation, Ms. Simon stated her mother who
lived in another state without informing her family to include Ms. Simon,
her mother went all by herself to a cremation society and arranged for her
own immediate disposition when she was to pass on; and only then notified
Ms. Simon (her daughter) after the fact. I stated to Ms. Simon – “How
sad it must have been to make ones arrangements for the transition to the
next life all alone and unbeknownst to your own children at the time; and
then to arrange for an immediate disposition”. </p>
<p>I have always believed that a<strong> “Life Worth Living was a Life
Worth Remembering” </strong>and that doesn’t mean having cupfuls
of your loved ones ashes in their original plastic bags in a butcher’s
pantry in the company of a gravy boat and Aunt Betty’s antique crystal
stemware. I suggest to Ms. Simon that you represent the worst of funeral
service and therefore so too does your publication – the Funeral Monitor.
Does this also mean that Ron Hast also represents the worst in funeral service?
<u> <strong>You be the judge!</strong></u></p>
<p>I am such a believer that a <em>“Life is Worth Living is a Life Worth
Remembering”® and that “When a Loved One Becomes a Memory,
the Memory Becomes a Treasure”® </em>that I registered each one
for Westland Services and have held these marks for several years. Although
I do not wish to influence or encourage anyone to believe as I do, I have
come to face my mortality each and every day. In so doing and based upon
the extensive research I have accumulated over the years, I have found more
and more seniors (and their families) are realizing the importance of “Respectful
Remembrance”® and just maybe what you read and see in the Funeral
Monitor is less than an accurate depiction of what is happening and where
the industry is heading.</p>
<p>As stated in a previous Update, I am a firm believer in freedom of speech
and freedom of the press to print accurate information. Ms. Simon (and therefore,
Mr. Hast and the Funeral Monitor) crossed the line on November 15, 2004
in its newsletter when it stated and I quote, </p>
<div class="insert">
<p><em>“And wouldn’t it be nice if OGR had done some real investigation
before agreeing to “recognize” a business (Westland Services)
that fails to provide what it promises to families?”</em></p>
</div>
<p>For the record and soon court proceedings, Westland has never had a single
complaint let alone ever defaulted on a contract in 20+ years of providing
<em>“personalized long-term beautification and maintenance services
at family gravesites throughout the country”.</em> The Funeral Monitor
cannot make without accountability the statement – “fails to
provide what it promises to families!” </p>
<p>As I have stated repeatedly to Mrs. Mangsen, Mr. Mercadante, the State
Board, and Division of Professional Licensure, there are ALWAYS consequences
for ones statements and actions. The Funeral Monitor is NO exception.</p>
<p>In a future Update, I shall present evidence of conversations, discussions,
and documents that were presented to the Funeral Monitor by Mrs. Mangsen,
treasurer of Nordgren Memorial Chapel in Worcester; and Nordgren Memorial
Chapel’s corporate counsel, Scott S. Sinrich; as well as a conversation
between Peter Stephan, Graham, Putnam, and Mahoney Funeral Home in Worcester
and Ms. Susan Simon, editor, Funeral Monitor. </p>
<p><strong>Next Update – April 30, 2007</strong> <br>
<em>A revisit to the Dianne Williamson article in the Worcester Telegram
& Gazette dated July 3, 2005. </em></p>
<p><strong>Subject </strong>-<em> “It’s also a colossal headache
for innocent targets such as<br>
Kevin Mercadante!” </em>(per Dianne Williamson). </p>
<p><strong><em>“Just how innocent was Mr. Mercadante will be discussed
in detail with his supporting testimony and testimony of family members
who have lost loved ones”</em></strong><br>
(Take Note – Ms. Williamson!)</p>
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